Household incandescent light bulbs may be coming back because of an executive order reversing the DOE ban. Read more here to find out!
In 2023, America was struck with a controversial regulation: the majority of Incandescent General Service Lamps (GSLs) would be banned from being manufactured/sold to consumers, and businesses would have to forfeit their stock.
In January of 2025, the President of the United States passed an executive order detailing methods of approaching energy efficiency. In one section of the article, it's mentioned that light bulb regulations are being reevaluated.
Given the name of our business, I’m sure you can see why this piqued our interest. :)
What is Covered in the Executive Order?
Aptly titled “Unleashing American Energy”, the document was published to the official Whitehouse website on January 20th, 2025. In its 3,000+ words, the administration covers the changes being implemented in the name of economical energy pursuits.
In section 2.f, it states:
“It is the policy of the United States to safeguard the American people’s freedom to choose from a variety of goods and appliances…”
The article then clarifies “lightbulbs” are included in this group of appliances, alongside other household items like dishwashers, water heaters, and more.
The document also covers a wide array of other upcoming methods for resource extraction and sourcing energy.
In regard to light bulbs, however – the current governmental administration appears to be walking-back the otherwise active bans on Incandescent GSLs.
Does This Mean Incandescent Light Bulbs Are Available Again?
Well, here’s where it gets tricky.
In theory, it looks like incandescent GSLs are coming back around…
But we – and other major retailers and manufacturers - have spent the last two years adapting to an adjusted industry where the majority of traditional lighting has been phased out. We had no choice but to throw away most of our incandescent GSLs when the bans were first rolled out in the early 2020s – and manufacturers were in the same place.
So, flipping the switch on the legality of these bulbs is the easy part.
The hard part is getting them back. If household incandescent GSLs are in fact coming back around, they’re probably not going to be immediately available.
That said, we are in constant communication with our vendors and manufacturers, and if there’s any window of availability for these bulbs, we’ll do what we can to offer them again, and you’ll be the first to know.
It's important to remember that not all incandescent light bulbs have been banned. There are still a lot of exceptions to the ban, like specialty application lamps. You can find those below!
Why Were Incandescent GSLs Banned in the First Place?
Back in April of 2022, the Department of Energy, along with the Biden administration, passed a regulation that banned both the manufacturing and sale of incandescent General Service Lamps. This took full effect the following year in February of 2023. And while this sudden shift caught the world by storm, many are still confused as to why it was given the green light in the first place.
Energy Consumption
It should come as no surprise that the Department of Energy wants to cut down on the power we consume in the US, and our lighting is no exception. Incandescent bulbs draw much more power compared to LED bulbs, making them far less energy efficient. For example, an LED bulb can be just as bright as a 60-watt incandescent, while only drawing 8 watts of power. This was essentially the biggest deciding factor for why the DOE’s regulation was passed.
Lifespan of LED Bulbs
Another advantage the Department of Energy saw in this regulation was cost efficiency. As previously mentioned, LEDs use far less power. So overall, someone who is using primarily LEDs would save more on their electricity bill compared to someone using incandescent bulbs.
And, while LED bulbs do have a higher up-front cost, they also last up to 50 times longer than incandescent bulbs. This means a consumer would end up spending far less money replacing their bulbs if they were to use LEDs.
The shorter lifespan of incandescent bulbs also makes them far less environmentally friendly. With how often they need to be replaced, people go through more bulbs quicker, which results in more waste being produced.
Despite having been around for a long time, there are still a lot of misconceptions about LED lights. Check out this blog on Dispelling 5 Myths About LEDs!
Conclusion
In summary: We’re still figuring out exactly what the executive order means for a business like ours. The document covered a lot of topics, and light bulbs were only mentioned once in passing… But that might be enough to get incandescent General Service Lamps back.
Regardless, if they are in fact coming back around, it’ll probably still take some time for things to get rolling.
We’ll do our best to keep you updated on the state of the lighting industry, and if incandescent GSLs are really coming back around, you’ll be the first to know when they’re in stock and ready to ship out of our warehouse.
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